IT’S been almost a year since I last wrote in this column. The reason being was that I was affiliated with a local government and was also a consultant to some politicians during the election season that I found it unethical to be using this platform to share my experience, advice and commentaries at that time knowing there may be conflict of interest between my job as a consultant and as opinion maker. You see, as a communications consultant, part of my role is playing as a PR representative for which I was paid. That itself directly comes in conflict with the role of a columnist whose primary allegiance is always to the readers.
But since I am no longer connected with any government official, at least as of this writing, I thought of reviving this platform knowing how crucial opinion columns are in raising issues and igniting dialog among stakeholders of governance. As the former president of France said, “I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.”
Thus, I am at it again. And as my articles have always been known for, they will always be fearless, bold, and independent. This is the least I could do to the government that fed me and my family over the years.
As my comeback piece, let me start by congratulating all those who won in the recent national and local elections. While people would hastily allege that those who won bought votes to secure their seats, I say while the majority of those who won whether they admit it or not, bought votes somehow, it was surely not the reason why they won. This is because everyone else did the same but not everyone made it. Which just strongly points out that an official won because the people chose him or her. That is an uncontested truth.
But winning elections and running the public office are two different ball games. Just because someone won does not mean he or she will bring or can bring about significant change. I have met and dealt with champion leaders who even with little support were able to introduce innovations that successfully addressed the needs of their community while some others spent their three terms with wasted power and opportunities.
One attitude that is mostly certain to bring a politician to a downfall is hubris - that excessive pride, overconfidence and an air of entitlement the moment he or she takes office. Sadly, it is still the people who will ultimately be at the losing end. I am pointing that out because more than the education and the intelligence of the official, it is his attitude that can make or unmake his term of office. It can determine whether he will be humble enough to ask for help from experts on crucial matters or proud enough to always be power tripping. It will also determine if he will have the patience to listen to the grassroots and figure out the real gaps or just impose his bright ideas thinking he already knows it all too well.
I do not mind that our leaders enjoy the perks that come with their position, but I hope they will not be too comfortable being blinded by the glaring situation of a crisis they are tasked to solve.
You know, an average of about five to seven friends would reach out to me asking for financial help on a daily basis lately, knowing I too am having problems making ends meet. This has never happened years ago. Which just means people are hard up. We are in a crisis.
Now, more than ever, we need politicians who are sensitive to our plight and would be willing to champion our causes. Politicians who can rise above their egos and put the welfare of the public first. From the looks of it, that is already hard to come by. DOH officials negative for coronavirus